Deadly Cantaloupe Recall Strikes 17 States

The third deadliest outbreak in the United States since the 1980's could be sitting in your produce aisle. Cantaloupe crops from the Jensen Farms/Rocky Ford in Colorado are confirmed contaminated with Listeria, a bacteria that has already claimed the lives of 13 Americans 21 American citizens.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted an official press release regarding the details of the recalls, including a list of states these contaminated fruits were shipped to. Most deaths from this recall were elderly citizens, one of the groups most vulnerable to the bacteria. Other susceptible groups are children, pregnant woman, and those with weakened immune systems.

Listeria is a bacteria commonly found in soil, manure, decaying plants, and stream water. It can survive refrigerator temperatures to about human body temperature. Symptoms from infection can take as long as 2 months to be felt/diagnosed, and can manifest as meningitis.